Bathurst Observatory Research Facility
Bathurst NSW Australia
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https://www.facebook.com/BathurstObservatory/
Bathurst Observatory Research Facility is an observatory site primarily for education, research and study, though we do offer general public viewing nights.
Open Nights Star Tours Available Now (conditions and limits apply)
Bookings will be essential for all tours.
(All tours subject to weather)
Tours are underway at the new site. The site is not complete yet, however, are able to offer tours to help complete other facilities.
Tours will be generally be available most Friday and Saturday nights.
No tours in the week of Full Moon
Please note that the main telescope is pretty big and requires use of a small stepladder for viewing. Please advise if you would have difficulties with steps and we can set up a different telescope.
* There may be some mid week research nights where tours are not available.
Reduced Tours Prices for groups
Costs :
As the site is not yet complete with all facilities, we are asking for donation towards completion (an amount you think is fair for the tour and my time).
(Note: we have NO credit card facilities)
Tour bookings and Enquiries, phone (0427292214 Please leave a message as we screen out spam calls), or email us. (Email is by far the best way to get us, if you don’t get a reply it means you have us blocked!!! Please change your settings!).
Tours require bookings and are weather dependent. (We can’t see stars through clouds!) Tour duration is about 1 hour, depending on time of year.
Our FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/BathurstObservatory/ is regularly updated, so have a look for the latest news and images from the observatory.
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I managed to sneak in an image of the Moon on the 9th of May. The telescope that was used is now around 40 years old and one of many at the observatory. ... See MoreSee Less
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Absolutely brilliant
Watch THIS Space May 25
The Sun showing large sunspot group AR4079 on the morning of the 4th of May. I haven’t imaged the sun for a while! Yes, you DO need a special telescope to image the sun safely!
It is a very difficult month to fit in tours for me. A lot of family events on weekends including my birthday (I do wish I had an assistant sometimes). I am actually not sure if June will be the first tours I will manage. I am very sorry about that!
But that will not stop May being a good month for stargazers. The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks around the morning of the 6th of May. It is active a few nights either side, so don’t worry if you miss the 6th. You need nothing to view them other than your eyes. However, you need to be out from 2am until dawn to see them. The meteors come from a point towards the eastern sky.
Comet F2 Swan, broke up, so will not be a highlight anymore in mid May. I do like looking for aurora this time of year, and the sun has been very active as seen in the image of the Sun on the 4th May. Also a great time of year to view those star clusters and nebula around the Southern Cross as well. ... See MoreSee Less
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Hi. Is the 23/5 available?
Watch THIS Space April 25
Another month has passed and with Daylight Savings ending, we can do tours and imaging at more reasonable times. This time of year is wonderful for seeing things in the Southern skies, particularly nebula and star clusters around the Southern Cross region. One of those is highlighted in the image this month is the Eta Carina Nebula. However there are other great things very nearby like the Jewel box cluster and Omega Centauri. We have Full Moon near on the 13th, which means no tours over that weekend (moon too bright) but at least the moon will have passed by Easter.
There will be some extra tours over the school holidays, but note, no tours Easter Sunday. Tour dates are as follows. April 18th to 24th (except Easter Sunday) at 7:45pm. Bookings Essential via message or email. Remember as well, we still offer special astrophotography beginner classes if you want to book one of those dates in! ... See MoreSee Less
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Watch THIS Space, March 2025
With the exaggeration of the “planetary alignment” now hopefully past, it is time to focus on what in the sky this month and to offer a special astrophotographers month. More on that later in this post.
Firstly, there are still two planets to see. Jupiter, now North-north west and Mars more north this month after sunset. However, I know that my eyes this time of year turn southward and imaging of the Magellanic galaxies and the nebula near the Southern Cross. I have posted a sky map of this area of the sky. In particular, I love to image the Eta Carina Nebula, visible in sky map posted above the cross.
It will also be interesting for me at least to watch the continuing fading of the once great Comet G3 Atlas.
Now the exciting bit…. Do you have your own telescope and equipment, looking for a place to image or perhaps just set up and use for viewing? Well March is Astrophotographers month at the observatory. Other than full moon weekend, you can book a powered site to set up your equipment and image on either a Friday or Saturday night during March. Bookings will still be essential. This is in response to increasing requests from people wanting somewhere special to image from, away from big city lights! ... See MoreSee Less
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You may have noticed no posts about planetary alignments from us!!! Well, sadly there are a few false or exaggerated stories about this. Firstly, yes the planets are in the evening sky but have been for weeks now! Secondly, you will only really see three of them. Venus very low in the north west, Jupiter in the north and mars in the north north east. Thirdly, it is not a one night only thing. It has been ongoing for weeks and a few more weeks to come!!! ... See MoreSee Less
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This has been such a internet beat up it’s just amazing, how many, yes, exaggerated descriptions of this ‘once in a lifetime experience’ have I seen. Hundreds. Graphics showing planets in a nice little line, like a string of pearls!!!!Just silly and thank you for this brief but relevant description from a reputable source. Just get over it people.
Thank you. I did wonder about that bit of news. I have been watching them for weeks 😊😊
Oh that's interesting. How much longer, I wonder? And are any others viewable with binoculars?
Jupiter is amazing!
It is always nice to spot the planets.
Thank you I thought that!!
I also saw a post about a lunar eclipse in March, yes there will be, NO it won't be visible to us in its entirety as the Moon will be below the horizon for most of the eclipse. We will have to wait until the 8th September this year.
Melonie Ross
Christine Fittler Brooke Coolidge
Alex Patterson-Ford
A lot of false hype
Thank you
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Comet Atlas G3 on the evening of the 17th of February. I changed to portrait orientation tonight. The sky was a bit clearer as well. Galaxy NGC 55 is still visible upper middle as well. The headless comet is about magnitude 7.0. The tail has broadened and there is still a secondary (twin) tail to the right of the main one. Image with 50mm lens in deep twilight. iso 4000. ... See MoreSee Less
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Well, Comet Atlas G3 is still visible, at least to the camera! This image was taken on the 15th February. The comet was visible as a faint smudge in binoculars with about 5 degrees of tail as well (well it is only tail!). The brighter star the tail passes through is B Scl mag 4.5. Image 50mm lens and stack of twenty 4s images at iso 4000. ... See MoreSee Less
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Watch THIS Space February 25
Firstly, before I start with what is in the sky this month, I know people are hanging out for tour dates. As my schedule gets busier and busier, I am finding it harder to find dates when I can do tours. This should get better after February once a few things free up for me. At present there is only ONE date, yes sadly one! That would be a tour on Saturday the 22nd. That tour would be at 9:00pm, bookings essential. I am so sorry about that, but it is the only evening I can squeeze one in! (Maybe I need a tour guide assistant to do the tours when I have research or other things!)
Now that the planet alignment hoax that the planets would line up on January 25th has passed, we can get onto looking at the planets when they ARE actually at the best. That being the month of February! Most of the planets will be sighted spread across the evening skies during February, from the west to the NE. Though some like Saturn and Mercury, will be much harder to sight. Bright Venus, in the west, Jupiter in the north, and Mars in the North East will be much easier to find.
Comet G3 Atlas, which dazzled us very low in the SW during January, broke up not long after passing the sun putting a lot of its material into the tail. Hence why the tail was so stunning. But alas the comet is fading fast and likely only a telescopic object (if at all visible in twilight) in February. It was interesting to witness the breakup and demise of this comet!
The summer Milky Way stretches almost north to south and contains many great star clusters and nebula to see. Eta Carina Nebula above the Southern Cross would definitely be one highlight. Late one evening, I also imaged the Monkey Head nebula which would be great for astrophotographers around now. Not really a visual nebula, even in the telescope, but a good target for an image. The image I obtained is this months, Watch THIS Space posted image! ... See MoreSee Less
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Colin Pickstone maybe what we saw last night
Comet G3 Atlas on the evening of the 24th January. There are both a close up and a wide field views of the comet. Imaged from Bathurst Observatory before I had to rush away on other commitments!
PS. I'll post February tours dates very soon! ... See MoreSee Less
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Nothing but cloud here in Wollongong every night. Very disappointing 😞
I went out side last night didn’t even see it lol and was looking for it